Oliver Kelley Farm

Visited for first time during their limited access Saturdays due to Covid. Despite it not being the normal experience, we had a fun time wandering around the beautiful grounds and trails. The animals and gardens were the highlight. Staff are very personable and knowledable. Look forward to a return visit.

$12 admission. Only open Saturdays 10-4 (September 2018). Plan on 2 hours. Beautiful old pretty classy farmhouse / nearly a mansion you can walk around inside (bottom story and root celler, not upstairs). Quite a few animals which can be pet with approval / gate control of staff (cows, sheep, maybe a pig and ox). A walking trail about 1 mile loop. Random period outbuildings with plenty of neat things to see (shed, barn, outhouse).

Very cool place! All handicapped accessible. Get close and pet cattle, sheep, chickens and my favourite Piggies!Some old school farming techniques and newer processes. Beautiful area and good people.

Super fun hands-on working farm, especially for little ones. Sheep and pigs amble by, chickens cluck and strut, farmers bustle and banter. Old world implements and structures, traditional foods being prepared in the farmhouse...just a wonderful place to visit!

Interesting look back at life as it was. Lot of hard work with hand tools.

Oliver Kelley Farm is one of the main reasons we bought MNHS season passes. They have different weekend events all summer that truly engage kids while teaching them. I love being able to show kids how much things have changed and they love getting to help with farm chores!

Nice experience of old and new farming techniques. We got to walk at our own pace and the golf cart escorts were nice! I do wish it was more clear about what items we could touch or experience, but overall it was a fun experience for our family.

A very fun place for the family to spend the day. They have a newly remodeled building with lots of labs and kitchens. Multiple gardens. And the historical Kelly farm. The day we went the had baby sheep being born.With fun activities all year around, we always get a yearly membership, and you can also visit the 27 other historical sites around Minnesota with this memvership

What a great place to let kids have some outdoor time and exercise, plus learn important information about farming both past and present. The new visitors center and kitchen with new gardens is a really nice addition to this site.

It was a great experience and the staff were very accommodating and knowledgeable. The kids had a ton of fun and you can tell its a pretty tight community there. Its great to know how life was like in the 1800s on a farm without all of these extra things that we have. There were hands on learning to keep people engaged. So worth the trip!

This farm is a very good place to visit, very interesting and alot to see!

Enthusiastic and well informed staff. Great place to bring kids or anyone who is interested in historical farm life. Bring a lunch, they have picnic tables but no place to buy food.

Very peaceful there. Kids liked the animals and we liked the buildings. Only knock is that I couldn’t find info on when the current house was built and the movie in the main building was basically a pro farming video and didn’t tell very much history of the family. People were nice.

Amazing place! Very educational and my kids enjoyed learning all things about farming. What an amazing place!

Talented and knowledgable staff! Fun place for learning.

Oliver Kelley Farm holds a special place in our family’s heart. We’ve spent hours doing chores, learning, and playing on the farm. We’ve had many play dates and picnics out by the river. Readers, I hope that you’re able to visit.

There were a couple bus loads of kids, but we never felt crowded or forgotten by staff. In fact, we were given great attention and were able to pet all the animals/do all the activities at our own pace.Such a fun blast from the past to see how people farmed long ago as well as currently theyre doing a World War I victory garden and a few other things from that time period.

This place is awesome!! Been there many times, and will be there many times more.

I liked that the kids got to do some work and see what like would be like a century ago. They also got to help in the garden, feed some animals and get water from a well. I couldnt bring my stroller inside the old house so that was tricky with twin babies but still a great experience

This is an experience! Immersive and wonderful for all ages. The staff is amazing. Absolutely one of the best historical adventures in Minnesota.

Awesome farm to bring you back to more simple times. Its amazing the hard work that goes into farming.

The farmers have a unique way of keeping elementary children involved while teaching at the same time. Lots of interaction to keep the childrens attention. Really enjoyed our visit.

It is a great place to leisurely walk around and introduce your children/adults alike, to the ways of farming from yesteryear, AND the present. We love the friendly and knowledgeable staff, volunteers that are present on the grounds. Plus, farm to fork treats, make it yummy!

Very educational and well run place to take your kids. The visitors center is great and the historic house and barn take you back in time, with the live animals and the in-custom staff giving you a real hands on feel for how life was back in the 1860’s

Nice learning experience. Not really for very young child. 4 year old was not all the interested. Not a lot going on when we were there. Folks there were pretty nice.

A great way to experience life on the farm then and now without having to leave the metro or getting your hands dirty, unless you want to pitch in and help. Theres always new events going on. A golf cart ride is available for those who have limited mobility.

Had a wonderful experience here with my 1 year old today. The animals are so well cared for and the farm is absolutely beautiful. Staff was very friendly.

Ive been here a number of times, before and after the main building/ entrace was built. Id say know your interests when planning a visit. It can take as little as 2-3hrs or the better part of a day. The range has much to do about whether youre going mid-week or weekend, and whether or not the farm is hosting a themed event. There is NO food service, so plan accordingly.The main building/entrace includes a small gift shop, wall displays, a short-ish movie on Kelleys legacy, and there is a teaching kitchen.If you go on one of the special events the Farm hosts throughout the year, DO plan for a longer visit. It is so neat to see all the costumed characters and learn about each ones daily responsibilities and such. I particularly enjoying learning about the differences between toys then. I truly enjoyed making a corn husk doll! The kids loved making biscuits and cake and returning for a bit once baked. Watching a team of horses thresh was informational for me and the young volunteers made for some good laughs.Id say know yourself and your guest(s) if you bring them. You may wish to wear casual clothes and comfortable shoes if youll be taking a walk along the nature trail.

We really enjoyed our trip to the farm today! I suggest coming here when they have events. Today was an animal farm day where we could pet animals and see how a sheep is shaved. It was a beautiful day. They have tons of space to walk around. Thank you!

This is a beautiful representation of life before Minnesota was even a state. The interactions with the old ways are eye opening. Thanks for the beautiful time.

Wonderful place to take the family or even for a date! Loved that they encourage people to be hands on and get. Seeing the baby animals was the best part

Lots of activities for kids of all ages. Plenty of space to run around, have a picnic, and a great learning environment. Staff is friendly, and the facilities are clean and modern. Thank you for the wonderful day!

Awesome place to take the family! Educational and fun.

The MN Historical Society for a great job with the Kelly farm. The volunteers are amazing, and its great how much the kids are able to touch, try and do.

A step back in time. The friendliest staff. Our kids love interacting with the animals and helping the ladies of the house, in the kitchen.

Been here a few times now. Both for field trips and on our own. Interesting and informative. Staff really encourages interaction.

Some of the employees were great. I saw one lady (employee) totally snap at a girl because she was trying to keep flies from landing on her. Kind of ruined the rest of the experience.

Excellent place to bring a youth group to expose them to farm life

Took 4 youngest grandchildren and they had fun learning while participating. A little something for everyone.

Overall boring. The women in the garden are nice as can be. At the end we visited the gift shop. The woman yelled at the my kids for playing with the toys we were going to buy. She went up into my kids face and yelled at him. Very RUDE! The name on her name tag was Beth. Very upset!

Love, Love, LOVE this place. Employees dress in period clothing and will happily talk to you about what theyre doing, and usually you can try it too. Go ahead, knead some dough, pitch that hay, weed the potatoes, and feed the pigs. Always talk to employees before touching the animals. This place is a true gem. Interactive like no other place. Immerse yourself in the 1860s while learning about farm life and food preservation.

This farm is a delight. I love the juxtaposition of the historic and modern approach to farming. I love that you can actually WORK on the farm if you want. Plus the staff is kind and very knowledgeable. There is something for everyone of every age.

Great place to learn about farming past and present. There are also lots of great walking trails.

Super cute animals, and the test kitchen was really fun-- it had a lot of propaganda and stuff related to food rationing as tactile history.

Great place for kids to experiance some hands on ways like it was back in the day before all the tech stuff and machines that we have now. Staff are great.

Wonderful my grandchildren loved it. Staff was more than welcoming.

What a fun interactive way to learn some history

Nice way to spend an afternoon with the family and let the city kids see a bit what farm life is like. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Kids are encouraged to get involved with the goings on. They have cows, chickens, sheep, horses, pigs and oxen many of which you can touch. My 4 year old loved it!

The kids get to help fed the chicken, cows, and the sheep. The staffs were very friendly and shared with us a lot about modern -day farming/gardening. The historic farming site is really cool. Its a neat place to bring your kids to visit and get some hands -on experience.

Kids love it! Friendly atmosphere and cool old fashioned setting.

Excellent experience and amazing staff. We love to walk around the old time farm and bring food to eat in the picnic area. Bring lots of snacks because they only have a few treats for sale. New modern farm exhibit and occasional free samples in the commercial sized kitchen. Clean restrooms.

Great for kids. Very knowledgeable staff. Lots of animals, very informational. Every kid should go there at least once !

Spent 4 hours with two kids (7 and 3 yrs). They loved the place. People are very friendly and let you work with them. Unique experience for the kids. Highly recommended!

Nice little place for people to learn how farming works, and how things were done in the 1800s

Loved the farm house, and workers dressed in Era costume. Kids enjoyed the hands on activity in kitchen and farm yard. Was expecting kids to be able to watch dairy milking cows too, but they dont have that

Went here with my step son for a field trip. The kids had so much fun. It was cool to learn how they did everything back in the day.

Really enjoyed the Seed Swap last Saturday. Missed the speaker presentation, which was during the first hour, but my family loved making seed art! It was really neat to talk with the various people who had brought seeds to share/exchange. Looking forward to future events and exploring the rest of the farm!

Went their for live NativityWe had a wonderful time

Great place for a grade school avtivity

Very nice farm Reenactment. Allot of walking

Threshing weekend. A fun place to visit.

Fun beautiful historical location to learn life in old time Minnesota

Love all the new buildings and additional info about modern day farming. I love that when you makebthe little trek back to the original farmstead its like going back in time and being able to experience What it was like for yourself. Very hands on. You get to cook, haul water and wood when needed. Garden and do farm chores just like they did in 1850. Always a wonderful time!

Its great to visit an old farm place, brings back memories of going to the grandparents farm when I was younger. The place is neat and well kept, and kept in original working order with all the old building and equipment. Everything that is repaired is done with original technique even using the old square nails. All the workers on the farm were very nice and very informative. About 3 miles of trails you can walk, cant wait to go back in the fall to see the colors of all the trees.

What an amazing place! I had to run an errand in Preston and took the whole family as a day trip to the farm. My kids that only like electronics had a blast I enjoy the visit tremendously (having three kids which tells a lot!!!)

Easy parking. Would like more staff at the beginning telling customers about attractions and what/where should start. Polite staff as old time farmers were knowledgeable and very friendly. Staff member Peter old time staff put my daughter to work in the field and she absolutely loved learning and participating.Looked through gift shop and didnt see as much Kelley Farm specific merchandise as I had hoped. Enjoyed the comfortable chairs under the awning overlooking the trees and fields. Kids loved getting up close with the animals and feeding the sheep. Good place to let the kids run and explore.

The entire family had a wonderful time! It was a fun interactive learning experience about life on the farm in 1850. They have a beautiful garden, animals, the homestead with a root cellar and so much more! I would definitely recommend it!

A great working farm for kids to enjoy.

Great place to take the kids. Very educational!

Fun experience seeing the history of farming and old equipment. Animals are pretty friendly. My young kids loved being close to the animals and playing on the old farm.

Great place. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Fun for the entire family.

Very informative staff in all areas of the farm. Fun stuff for adults and kids to do and a lot to learn

I went to Kelly Farm with my daughters first grade class for field trip. Very impressed by the knowledge of the staff and how they related the farm jobs and life back to current life/what were the differences and making the children think about how different life was and all of the things they would have had to do a 6 and 7-year olds if they lived on a farm in 1863. Like making crackers from scratch, doing laundry all day, harvesting veggies for dinner, feeding animals, the list goes on and on!

We visited at the end of September when the farm was making sorghum molasses. The kids got to help press the canes through a horse-powered press to extract the juice. We later helped the ladies in the kitchen make molasses candy with the boiled down and cooled syrup. It was very delicious. For the price of admission, we took a horse drawn carriage ride through the property, petted many animals, toured the grounds and learned all about life on this historic 1860s property. This was a nicely preserved and beautiful farm. It is a great place to relax and get away from modern conveniences for the day. I highly recommend a visit or two throughout the year.

We are members of the MN historical society and have been ticking various sights off our lists. This was one of our favorites so far. Our kids loved exploring the farm, seeing all the animals, helping the farmers bring in their crops, etc. Interactive fun, hidden learning, fresh air, and family fun what more could you ask for.

Wonderful and informative! Vintage farm still doing things the old fashioned way.

Great place! Very helpful staff and taught me a lot

Wonderful farm experience for children. My kids are 3 and 5 and they love being able to work on the farm. My son like petting the horses and my daughter chases the barn cats. The staff is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Bring your camera because there are tons of photo opportunities as well. It is a different experience every time because like a real farm there is different things happening each day. We now have a membership and come back often and our kids are always excited to go. I would recommend that children are 3 yrs. old to get the full experience of working on the farm, but there are lots of strollers around the farm as well. I would highly recommend this day on the farm.

Great place to take the kids. Learn about 1860s farm life as well as farming today.

Fun and family-friendly!

Very interesting and educational. Kids and adults both enjoyed the farm. Two hours was definitely not enough time. Will go back another time.

I took my students here to Kellys Farm. They do an amazing job on their field trips so much good information shared with my students!

Its a neat place to visit, last summer I wouldve given 5 atars but they have discontinued the tours by horse drawn wagon which was one of the best parts of a visit. They advertise their learning kitchen being a great place to go bake and try samples but that is also often closed and rarely is there cooking going on and never have there been food samples when Im there. Afterw visits you realize its kinda just the same old thing every time just wandering around the small area where the animals are

Amazing experience everytime. Become a member and get access to all of what the Minnesota historical society has to offer plus discounts to special events. We are proud members of over two years and never a dull moment.

It was really informative and memorable experience!

Im not really big into history, but they had a whole bunch of activities that we could do even some for the young ones... Theres petting zoo and the a diagram on how different foods work and how they are created, the pig one has a stomach that basically opens up and shows us where each part of the pig comes from like where the pork chops come from and where the bacon comes from and theres a vegetable one where you can move vegetables from an assembly line and theres a milking one where you milk a cow and you see how people milk a cow using machinery. You can also Ill take a tour of mr. Kellys house. They have interactive people in costume teaching us how to cook in the olden days and how to clean in the olden days there is a giant Garden where you can pick food and water plants there are also horses. There are some Barn cats so if you are allergic to cats I would not recommend going into a few of the barns, but all in all this is quite a fun place and a good place to bring your ages 7 to whatever age children and Friends

Very friendly staff that really worked hard to get kids involved in fun farm chores and activities.

Great working histiory farm. If youre into history this is the place for you.

So informative with fun displays

Cool things to look at, cool animals, but I don’t like how they constantly put you to work, but you do have a choice. It’s okay tho

I love taking my grandkids to the farm to see life in tge 1800s. The staff is so patient and interactive.

Fun learning place historically speaking.

Learn every chance your can.

New additions to the Kelly Farm expand the learning opportunities to the present era. The old farm still provides the historic perspective as it has in past years. Its worth multiple visits during the year to experience farm life throughout the growing season.

Great experience for younger children.

Fun informative place to learn how farming used to be and how things are done now at the farm lab.

Not lot to see but was educational fun. My son liked to pet and learn about the animals.

Always a fun day out with our little one. We go once or twice a year. Its a little expensive but they have really added to the experience this year with their expansion. Its worth a visit.

Enjoyed Walk to the Stable activity there last night.

Great place to bring the family, as youre allowed to explore and experience everything at your own pace. Staff is interactive and does an exceptional job getting kids involved with chores/activities, all while adding context and history to enhance the learning.